A new full-body airport security scanner is slashing waiting times by allowing passengers to pass through without lifting their hands in the air.

Denver International Airport launched the technology last week, which also aims to make the screening process more comfortable. The scanner works in much the same way as the old one, but the simple change of no longer having to hold up your hands is set to revolutionize passing through security.

Larry Nau, a director at Transportation Security Administration which will operate the new machinery, said: “That’s much quicker. When you’re processing over 70,000 travelers a day, they make a difference.”

The walk-through scanner uses sensors originally designed to detect astronomical* activity in deep space and has applied the technology to assessing the human body. It studies the faint light emitted by human bodies and spots hidden objects.

An operator sees the outlines of these dark spots and a computer program then identifies them from their silhouette* to discern between a mobile phone and a gun, for example.(SD-Agencies)